• Grace That Covers Our Mistakes

    By: Kristen L. McNulty

    Reprint rights available on request. Email the author at kristenmcnulty@hotmail.com.

    When I was about eleven years old someone made the mistake of asking me to carry a platter of watermelon out into the backyard where everyone was gathering for dessert. Trying to be helpful, I made my way outside with the platter and everything was going fine until I started walking down a small hill. I’ll spare you the details, but let’s just say that I ended up being royally embarrassed and no one other than the dog ate dessert that night.

    Now for years after that incident, I was teased about it. With some close to me not trusting me to carry food items not already protected in packaged containers. I found this to be kind of outrageous as that was the only time I dropped a whole platter of food, but certain family members didn't take that into consideration. Every time something was needed to be carried, they saw a vision of me flying down that hill, which was slick from the rain by the way, and either they'd ask someone else to do or make wisecracks about why I shouldn't.

    God Still Uses The Fallen


    For too many years I believed that God also saw me in the same way. Meaning He would never allow me to do something in an area where I had slipped up in the past. Thankfully God doesn’t operate this way. When He looks at us, He doesn’t see stains of failure or past mistakes. Rather He looks at where are hearts are at. Past performance doesn't stop God from using us today. We see this truth resonated over and over again throughout the Bible. David messed up his God-given mission by committing adultery, playing a role in another man's death, and taking a census that went against God’s instructions, yet God still used him to lead the nation of Israel and blessed him with a dynasty. Peter deserted Jesus and denied knowing Him, yet God later used Peter to spread the Good News about the same man He deserted and denied. Mark left Paul and Barnabas during their first missionary journey, then two years later was graciously allowed back into ministry. God uses the weak, the ones who have failed, and the ones who had run out of second chances long ago.

    Being Welcomed Back


    I find this to be very encouraging because I’m definitely a long way off from being perfect. I’ve made some pretty stupid mistakes, I’ve not always had the right motives, and there have been times where I’ve been pretty irresponsible with what God has given me even since becoming a believer. But maybe that’s what encourages me most about the stories mentioned because they were all believers who were serving God when they failed, and even then God still welcomed them back.

    Like the father of the prodigal son, God welcomes us back with open arms. His Grace is a continual gift that allows us to not only be forgiven for past wrongs, but gives us the opportunity to be trusted again for service. Although that doesn’t mean that we should purposely act irresponsibly or squander what we’ve been given, it does take a huge weight off of our shoulders when we do mess up. 

    Forgives, Forgets & Restores


    And we will mess up. We will hold on when we should have let go. We will walk when we should have run. We will go when we should have stayed and we will hurt others when we should have loved. But God forgives, He forgets, and best of all, He restores.

    If today you find yourself fallen, now isn't the time to stay down, but instead to get up and go to God with your sin. As we learn in Hebrews chapter 4, we are free to approach him, even when we aren't at our best:

    "So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most." Hebrews 4:16


    God's grace is enough to cover your mistakes, as John Mark McMillan wrote in his song How He Loves: "If grace is an ocean, we're all sinking."

    So instead of focusing on the regrets of yesterday, look instead to today and ask God what he wants of you here and now. If my life and the lives of David, Peter and Mark are any indication, He still has something great in store for you.

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